I'm actually very curious about this as well... what does it take to get URM status as an American Indian? Do you just check the box for Native American on the application? Just being realistic here how do they ever check for this sort of thing?

Pros: It could help. It's totally legitimate. I was an anthropology major and did a senior thesis on my tribe. I don't think I'd be displacing any reservation Indians (unlike in lots of Western schools). Unlike other minority classifications, this one is all about genealogy and not so much about looks.

Cons: Racism (The 3 schools I like have VERY few Indian students between them. I hope because they don't apply.) I don't look terribly Indian, so I'd hate for it to work AGAINST me.

My grandfather didn't look terribly Indian either, although my aunts do. He actually became a U.S. citizen, because back then Indians weren't citizens at birth (!) He was taken away from his mother and adopted by a white family, and shipped off to an Indian boarding school. Apparently, he actually got into Yale but ended up at the University of Kansas. And he called himself an "ol' Injun." So I guess that's why.

I would love to know if I have to send in papers or something to prove it, because I'd have to start hunting for them now! Thanks for the input.

Lizard, you have a fascinating history and are a representative of an incredibly important and dying culture. I'm sure you're very proud of your background. ANY school would be proud to add Native American students to its ranks. I think your fear of the reverse being true is unfounded. Do yourself and the schools a favor and disclose your ancestry.

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Regal_Muse

In order to be classified as Native American, you need a tribal card. It takes tons of paper work and interviews I believe to accomplish this.One of the requirements is that you must be 25%. I think each state has different outlines. If you are, I would work towards getting recognized.

Me Eskimo. Me canoo with snow and bear. Salmon is goooooooooood~! This is my daily cycle. I wake up when I feel like it. Get my fur coat on and get out of the igloo. Put on my ski and go fishing. Bring fish home wife cooks. Me my wife, ten kids, and my father eat the fish. Then my father say he wanna die. I take him to the river and he gets on his canoo and goes far far away. LSAT is a good food.

I just found out that I'm 1/16 Cherokee. No one in my family knew about it until my great-grandma died and they found Indian stuff in her belongings. She was half Cherokee. Her mom and grandfather hid in Missouri on the Trail of Tears. They had to keep it a secret that they were Indian or their land would get taken away. It was a big family secret apparently.

My grandpa's sister is already registered. My grandpa, mom, sister, and I are getting registered. The process is this (as far as I understand):

1. Your ancestor has to have been on the original Dawes Rolls - an official census taken in the 1800's.

2. You get the application from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. You submit original birth certificates for as far back as you need to to prove you're related to someone on the rolls.

3. If everything is in order, after about 6 weeks, they send you a proof of Indian blood which contains your Indian blood quantum.

4. Different tribes have different requirements for membership - 1/8, 1/16, etc. The Cherokee tribe accepts anyone with even one drop of Cherokee blood. That's why they're the biggest tribe. After you get your proof of Indian blood, you apply for membership to the specific tribe, which I'm assuming takes probably 6 more weeks.

I found out about this all too late to help me for school this year, although it will help my sister get into b-school. She'll get to put "Native American" even though she's the palest blond white girl ever. Awesome.

Maybe when I get all this taken care of... if I'm still on a certain school's waiting list... I will call them and let them know that I "mistakenly" checked White on my app...

geni

1. Your ancestor has to have been on the original Dawes Rolls - an official census taken in the 1800's.

Actually, the Dawes Rolls can only prove membership in certain tribes (such as Cherokee). Many tribes were not included in that census. So, you actually have to prove your ancestor was a tribal member (not necesarrily using the Dawes Rolls). If your ancestor was on the Dawes Rolls it makes the task easier though!

I recently found out that I am supposedly 1/16 Blackfoot. I don't know if that would qualify me for tribal membership or not. I have been interested in Genealogy for some time and in my research I have interviewed family members to get as much info about my family history as possible. One person I interviewed recalled that my Grandfather was 1/4 Blackfoot. Unfortunately for me, that is the one branch of the family tree that I am having difficulty researching (which makes sense...). I've ordered birth certificates and we'll see if that leads me to a provable Native American ancestor or not.

At this point, though, I'm sure I'll be a 1L before I find out one way or the other about whether I can prove a tribal ancestor. Even if it turns out that I have too small a blood quantum to actually be considered a Native American, it has been interesting to learn more about the Blackfoot people and my ancestry.

geni

Yes, the Blackfoot tribe does have a website... although I couldn't find anything on it about tribal membership. I believe you are correct that the lawsuit was brought by a member of the Blackfoot.

The Mormons have a terrific genealogy website with downloadable genealogy software and tons of records which are searchable online. I haven't had a chance to try out my local public library yet... I'm in the southwest, so my local library will likely have more information about the Navajo and Hopi tribes than the Blackfoot, but it's worth a try.

Which tribe was your grandfather a member of? Have you decided whether or not to claim URM status? It seems to be that it would be beneficial in both the admissions process and in looking for scholarship money...